Ann Murugan and Jenny Strand from Luleå returned to Sweden after several years of studying abroad and saw how their beloved natural forests, which they had ridden around in as teenagers, had disappeared one by one, replaced by forest plantations. While abroad, they had experienced how impoverished a country can become if its natural resources are exploited too heavily, and they decided to do something to save the dwindling old-growth forests that still remained. Ann and Jenny started "Ett klick för skogen" (A Click for the Forest) and, together with Anna-Karin Grennvall, formed the first board of directors.
In 2006, the foundation was able to acquire its first forest, Änamusskogen, which was thereby protected for all time. Three years later, the second forest purchase, Verles old-growth forest, was completed, and the foundation was still run largely on a voluntary basis by Ann, Jenny, Anna-Karin, and a handful of volunteers. In 2010, an operations manager was hired, and in January 2011, the foundation changed its name to Naturarvet(Natural Heritage), as more ways of raising money had been added and to better reflect the permanent protection created for the purchased forests.